Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1796 By: Rosino
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to foster care; defining terms;
7 allowing foster parents to use certain caregivers and
8 arrangements for temporary care of foster children;
8 specifying certain time limit on temporary care;
9 requiring certain notice; requiring foster parents to
9 identify certain formal alternate caregiver;
10 specifying requirements for alternate caregivers;
10 requiring certain screenings and home evaluation for
11 alternate caregivers; authorizing respite care by
11 certain foster families; providing for
12 qualifications; authorizing certain informal care
12 arrangements; requiring application of certain
13 parenting standard; prohibiting use of certain
13 informal caregivers; directing promulgation of rules;
14 providing for codification; and providing an
14 effective date.
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17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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18 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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19 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-7-117 of Title 10A, unless
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20 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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21 A. As used in this section:
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22 1. "Alternate caregiver" means a person, assessed and approved
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23 by the Department of Human Services, who for not more than fourteen
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24 (14) consecutive days, relieves a foster parent's day-to-day
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Req. No. 2981 Page 1
1 responsibilities by temporarily assuming care and supervision of the
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2 child in the custody of the Department. Such term applies only to
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3 traditional, contracted, and kinship foster care;
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4 2. "Informal care arrangement" means an arrangement a foster
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5 parent makes with one or more informal caregivers, who may be
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6 friends, neighbors, or relatives, for the foster child's occasional
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7 care for a period not to exceed seventy-two (72) hours; and
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8 3. "Respite care" means short-term care provided by an approved
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9 foster family when foster parents need breaks from day-to-day
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10 parenting responsibilities while caring for a child in the custody
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11 of the Department.
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12 B. 1. Foster parents may use alternate caregivers, use respite
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13 care, and make informal care arrangements to temporarily care for
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14 their foster children as provided by this section and rules
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15 promulgated by the Director of Human Services.
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16 2. An individual providing care consecutively for more than
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17 seventy-two (72) hours shall be an approved alternate caregiver as
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18 provided by subsection C of this section or an approved foster
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19 family that provides respite care in accordance with subsection E of
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20 this section.
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21 3. The foster parent shall notify the Department prior to using
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22 an alternate caregiver, respite care, or an informal care
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23 arrangement.
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Req. No. 2981 Page 2
1 C. 1. The foster parent shall identify at least one alternate
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2 caregiver, but no more than two, who can fulfill the foster parent's
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3 role for the foster child placed in the foster home in case of
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4 family emergencies, or when the family needs an extended break for
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5 up to fourteen (14) consecutive days.
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6 2. The foster parent may only use an alternate caregiver who
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7 has been approved by the Department. An approved alternate
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8 caregiver may only provide care for foster families for which the
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9 alternate caregiver has been approved by the Department.
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10 3. An alternate caregiver shall successfully complete the
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11 screening requirements provided by subsection D of this section and
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12 shall meet such qualifications for approval as may be prescribed by
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13 the Director through rule.
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14 D. The alternate caregiver and each adult household member in
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15 the alternate caregiver's home shall successfully complete:
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16 1. An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation name-based
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17 criminal history records search;
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18 2. A search of Department records including, but not limited
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19 to, child welfare records;
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20 3. A search of any applicable registries including, but not
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21 limited to, the child care Restricted Registry under Section 405.3
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22 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the community services worker
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23 registry under Section 1025.3 of Title 56 of the Oklahoma Statutes,
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1 and the nursing facility nontechnical services worker registry under
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2 Section 1-1950.7 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
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3 4. An evaluation of the home to assess the location, condition,
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4 and capacity to accommodate the foster child; and
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5 5. Any other requirements prescribed by the Director through
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6 rule.
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7 E. 1. Respite care may only be provided by a foster family
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8 approved by the Department.
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9 2. A foster family is not limited to providing respite care to
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10 only one foster family.
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11 3. To be approved to provide respite care, a foster family
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12 shall meet such qualifications as may be prescribed by the Director
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13 through rule.
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14 F. 1. Foster parents may make informal care arrangements with
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15 informal caregivers for the foster child's occasional care in
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16 accordance with this subsection and rules promulgated by the
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17 Director.
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18 2. Foster parents shall apply the reasonable and prudent parent
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19 standard when selecting an informal caregiver to care for the foster
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20 child and shall ensure he or she possesses the maturity and skills
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21 to address the child's needs.
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22 3. The foster parent shall not use an informal caregiver who
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23 the Department of Human Services has determined is unsafe.
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1 G. The Director shall promulgate rules as necessary to
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2 implement the provisions of this section.
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3 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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5 60-2-2981 DC 1/14/2026 8:27:59 PM
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Req. No. 2981 Page 5Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.